Electrical transportation system.



Patented July 8, |902.

' No. 704.0l9.

H. F. FREED.

ELECTRICAL TBANSP-OTATIDN SYSTEM. 'Applicamn led Mar. 11. 1901. Ronewed Jan. 13, 1902.)

i 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

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` N0. 704,019. Patented'luly 8, |902. H. F. FREED. ELECTRICAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

(Applicamon filed Mar. 11, 1901. Renewed Jan. 13, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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Nn. 704,0!9. I y .P 'atented Jury a, |902.

^ H. F. FREED.

ELECTRICAL TRANSPORTATION '.SYSTEM.

(Applicmon md Mar. 11, 1901. mnewed Jan. 1s, 1902.) Y (No Model.) 4 Sheets-'Sheet 3.

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1 1 l l I f M f1 H'omw 13o l C 0 No. 704,0I9. Y Patented .luly 8, 190.2.

l H. F. FREED. ELECTRICAL TRANSPOBTATIDN SYSTEM. (Applicanon filed Mar. 11, 1901. Renevved Jan, 13, 1902.)

(No Modem' x 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

aktoznogo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

HENRY FELIX FREED, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF NINF-TENTHS TO ISAAC FREED, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AND SYLVESTER O. SPRING, OF `PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL TRANSPORTATION SYST-EM.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.` 704,019, dated July 8, 1902 Application led March 1l, 1901. Renewed January 13, 1902. Serial No. 89,462. tll'o model.)

.In all whom it mag/concern,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY FELIX FREED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Transportation Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othxo ers skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an electrical transportation system more especially intended for use in largestores for carrying bundles x5 or cash from the sales-counter to the cashiers or bundle-wrappe1"s counter or other terminal point.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical transportation syszo tem which may be easily, expeditiously, and

economicallyinstalled; furthermore, to provide the carriage with a current-reversing switch which is automatically operated as the carriage approaches either end of the track to reverse the direction of movement of the motor when current is applied; furthermore, to provide quick-break switches to cut off the current from the motor by the shifting of the reversing-switch; furthermore,

3o to provide an electrically-operated hoist for elevating the bundle or cash receptacle from the. sales-counter to a point where it maybe connected to the carriage in its movement from one end of the track to the other; fur- 35 thermore,to provide means for automatically releasing the bundle or cash receptacle from the carriage when it arrives at the salescounter end of the track; furthermore, to provide means for allowing th'e said receptacleto 4o lower or descend within convenient reach of the salesman after it has been released from the carriage, and, finally, to provide an electrical transportation systemof this character which will perform its work in an efficient and expeditious manner and with a minimum amount of labor.

Vith these and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which vill be hereinafter more 5o fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

`In the accompanying draWings,Figure lis a diagrammatical conventional representation of my improved electrical transportation system. Fig. 2 is an end view of the hoisting device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isa View taken from one side of the carriage. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken from the opposite side of the carriage. Fig. 6 is an end View of the carriage. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. S is aside view of one ofthe track-hangers,showing the trackrails in section and parts broken away to illustrate the insulation. Fig. 9 is a view of 65 the lower end of one of the hangers, illustra-ting the swinging lever used for elevating and lowering the bundle or cash receptacle and the sliding electricalcontact. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective View of the trip for shift- 7o ing the reversing-switch lever. Fig. l1 is an end view of the same, and Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the receptacle-supporting hook.

ln the drawings, ldenotes the store-ceiling;

2, the track-hangers depending therefrom; 3, the sales-counter, and 4 the cashiers and bundle-wrappers counter at an elevation above the sales-counter.

5 denotes track-rails secured to the hangers 2, one above the other and insulated there- 8o from. Atrthe sales-counter end the rails are deflected downwardly for a purpose hereinafter to'appear and remain parallel with each other, as shown.

6 denotes a carriage the frame of which con- 85 sists of a base 7, a shelf 8, supported above the base by posts 9, the grooved track-supporting wheels lO, journaled in 'brackets secured to the lower side of the base and adapted to travel on the lower track-rail, and the 9o grooved propelling-wheel 11, Iixedto a shaft 12, journaled in bearings 13 14, projecting from the shelf and insulated therefrom.

15 denotes an electric motor suitably mounted upon the base of the carriage and has fixed to its armature-shaft 1G a gear-wheel17, which in turn meshes with a gear-wheel 18, fixed to a shaft 19, mounted in bearings 19, insulated from the shelf. This shaft 19 has also fixed to it a pinion 20, which meshes with a gearwheel 21, fixed to the shaft 12, thus transmitting the movement of the motor to the propelling-wheel 11.

22 denotes a current-reversing switch of any well-known or approved construction and connected to the brushes 23 24 by wires 23 23b and 24a 24" in a manner common to this class of switches, whereby when the pivoted lever 25is moved from one side to the other the direction of flow of the current through the motor will be reversed, thus reversingthe direction of rotation of the armature-shaft and causing the carriage to travel in an opposite direction. The current is taken from the lower track-rail, flows through one of the wheels 10, its bearing-bracket, through a wire through the switch, thence through the motor back to the switch, thence from the switch through the wire 10b, and thence from the wire 10b through the train of gearing to the propeller-wheel 1l, and from thence to the upper track-rail. When the lever is reversed and the switch shifted, the current flows through the motor in an opposite direction, thus reversing the direction of movement ofthe armature-shaft and causing the carriage to travel in an opposite direction. As the particular form of motor and reversing-switch form no part of the present invention, but are simply adjunctive thereto and may be changed at will without departing from the spirit of the invention, a further or detailed description of these parts is thought to be unnecessary.

Near each end of the track and located above the upper rail and secured to one of the track-hangers are trip-devices, one indicated by 27 and the other by 28. The trip devices consist of the plates 29, secured to the track-hangers and provided with studs 30, to which are connected by diagonal pivots 3l arms 32 32, which have swinging movements upwardly in. inclined planes and which are located in the path of movement of the reversing-lever 25. The arms being connected to the studs 30 by the pivots 3l in rule-joint fashion will be vpermitted to swing upward from a horizontal position, but cannot swing downward below a horizontal plane. The arms of the trip devices are arranged to swing toward each other, or, in other words, in opposite directions, and are preferably constructed with a beveled lower side 33, so as to more readily free themselves from the upper end of the reversing-lever 25 when it engages and slides under the arms.

Ipwill now describe and trace the circuits for propelling the carriage. f

Referringto Fig. 1, a denotes the main or closed circuit, consisting of the conductorwires a a2. b and c denote branch circuits consisting, respectively, of the wires b' b2 and The branch circuit b has installed within it a quick-break switch d, and the branch circuit c has installed within it a similar quickbreak switch e. These switches may be of the usual and well-known construction and further description of the same is not deemed necessary. l

I will now proceedto describe the operation of the carriage.

Referring to Fig. 1, the carriage is shown at the right-hand end of the track and the lever. 25 in a position to energize the motor to drive the carriage in the direction indicated by the arrow A. The quick-break switch e is now closed, thuscompleting the circuit through the wire c, the quick-break switch c, the lower track-rail, the reversing-switch and carriage, the train of gearing, the propeller-wheel 11, the upper track-rail, and the wire c2. The carriage is now driven in the direction of the arrow A, and the lever 25 striking the arm 32 elevates said arm and passesunder the same without reversing the lever. When the carriage reaches the opposite end of the track, the lever 25 will strike the arm 32, and as said arm will not swing upward when struck by the lever when the carriage is moving in the direction of the arrow A the lever will be shifted to reverse thel ow of current through the motor, and in this shifting movement the current will be broken, thus demagnetizing the electromagnet on the quick-break switch e and permitting ,its armature to swing away from the magnet unbroken the circuit c, which through the in-A strumentality of the quick-break switch e remains broken and has vbeen swung to a position opposite to that shown in Fig. l to reverse the motor. The operator at the lefthand end of the track now closes the circuit b by closing the quick-break switch d, thus completing the circuit through the carriage in the manner as hereinbefore described and causing the carriage to be propelled back to its starting-point. In returning to its starting-point the lever 25 will engage the arm 32, elevate and pass under i the same without shifting, but in coming in contact with the arm 32 will be shifted in the manner hereinbefore described, and in the shifting of this lever the current will be momentarily broken, th us releasing the armature from the magnet of the quick-break switch d and causing the circuitb'to remain broken. Buiers 34 may be secured to the right-hand end of the track to receive the impact of the carriage.

Any suitable form of package or cash receptacle may be employed. The one shownhaving a bail 35', which is supported from one IIO - the carriage-in other words, the hoist.

39 denotes a shelf supported by hangers 40 from the ceiling and having mounted thereon an electric motor 41, the armature-shaft of which is provided with a drive-pinion 42.

43 denotes a windlass mounted in bearingposts 44 and provided at one end with a gearwheel 45-in mesh with the drive-pinion 42. The other end of the windlass is provided with a ratchet-wheel 46, which is engaged by a spring-actuated pawl 47, to which is connected a rope 48, passed through an overhead eye 49 and extending to and within convenient reach of the salesman and by means ofv which the pawl may be released from the ratchet-wheel.

50 denotes a winding chain connected to the windlass and passing about suitable guidepulleys 51 and 52.

53 denotes a lever pivoted to the depending angular end of one of the rail-hangers 2 and provided with the insulated contact-point 54, which is adapted to engage an insulated contact-point 55, secured to said angular end of the hanger. To the free or unpivoted end of this lever is connected the lower end of the chain 50. This lever extends immediately below the deflected portion of the track-rails for a purpose presently to appear.

The hoist-circuit is designated by the letter f and consists of the wires f f2, connected to the wires a Ca2. This circuit f has installed within it the hoisting-motor 41 and a quick-break switch g, similar in construction, action, and function to the quick break switches d e, hereinbefore described. The opposite ends of the wiresf f2 are connected, respectively, to the contactpoints 55 54. When these contact-points 55 54 are in electrical connection and the quick-break switch g closed, the current flows through the wire f', through the quick-break switch g, through the contact-points 55 54, through the wire f2, through the motor, and back to the main or closed circuit a. f

The operation of the hoisting device is as follows: Referring to Fig. 1, it will be assumed that the carriage has just returned from the cashiers or bundle-wrappers counter to the salemans counter. O11 entering the deiected portion of the track the carriage lowers the wheel 37 of the double hook upon the inclined rail 53, which will slightly check the momentum of said hook and its suspended receptacle and allow the carriage to free itself and continue on toward the end of the track, where it is brought to a halt by the buers 34. To lower the hook and receptacle after they have been disengaged from the carriage, the free end of the cord or rope 48 is grasped and drawn downward, thus releasing the spring-actuated pawl from the ratchet-wheel 46 and allowingthe windlass to unwind the chain 50, thus lowering the unpivoted end of the lever 53 and allowing the receptacle to descend to within convenient reach of the salesman. In this downward movement of the lever the contact-points 55 54 are brought together; 'but as the quick-break switch g is held open by its spring no current as yet passes through the hoisting-motor 41. When it is desired to elevate the receptacle to the` position-shown in Fig. 1, the quick-break `switch gis closed, thus completing the circuit through the wires f' f2 and starting the hoisting-motor 41. The movement of this motor, as hereinbefore explained, is communicated to the windlass 43, which will wind up the chain 50, thus swinging upwardly the unpivoted end of the lever 53 until the reeeptacle reaches the position shown in Fig. l, at which instant the contact-point54 will have slid past the contact-point 55, thus breaking the circuit and causing the motor to come to a state of rest. At the instant the contact-points 54 and` 55 separate the quick-break switch g is opened, so thataft-er the carriage has been propelled to the cashiers or bundle-wrappers counter and has been returned to the salemans counter and the double hook again lowered into engagement with'the pivoted lever 53 saidlever will be in condition to be lowered by releasing the pawl 47. from the ratchet-whee146, although in thisalowering action the contactpoints 54 55 are brought together.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of this system will be apparent without requiring an extended explanation.

It will be noticed` that in order to lower the receptacle 35 it is only necessary to release the pawl 47 from the ratchet-wheel 46, to. elevate the receptacle,to close the quick-.break switch g, and to propel the carriage fromone end of the track to the other to close one of the quick-break switches de.. 4It will thus be seen that the system is a simple and practical one, easilyoperated, and may be installed at a comparatively small cost, and by IOO IIO

its use time and labor are reduced to a minibut reserve to myself the right to employ it `separate track-rails, quick-break switches circuited with the track-rails, and means located within the path of movement of the reversing switch to shift said reversingswitch to break the circuit, open said quickbreak switch and reverse said reversingswitch, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electrical transportation system, the combination of separate track-rails, a motor-carriage mounted to travel along said track-rails, a reversing-switch carried by said carriage and circuited with the motor and track-rails, quick-break switches located near the ends of said track-rails and circuited therewith and devices arranged within the path of movement of the reversingswitch for operating said reversing-switch to break the circuit through the track-rails and quick-break switches and for reversing said reversing-switch, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electrical transportation system, the combination of the separate track-rails, a motor-carriage mounted to travel along said track rails, a reversing switch having a shifting-lever and carried by said carriage, quick-break switches, said reversing-switch circuited with the motor, the track-rails and the quick-break switches, trips arranged at opposite ends of the track within the path of movement of said lever, each trip movable by pressure from one direction to permit the lever to pass freely from engagement with it without being reversed and immovable by pressure from the opposite direction to trip said lever to reverse the switch, said trips being movable in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

4f. In an electrical transportation system, the combination of the separate track-rails, a motor-carriage mounted to travel along the track-rails, a reversing-switch having a shifting-lever and carried by said carriage, quickbreak switches, said -reversing-switch circuited with the motor, the track-rails and the quick break switches, trips arranged near the opposite ends of the track within the path of movement of the shifting-lever, said trips mounted to swing in opposite directions from their normal positions Within the path of movement of the shifting-lever, in an inclined plane out of the path of movement of said shifting-lever, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electrical transportation system,

the combination with track-rails and an electrically-propelled carriage, of a receptacle or car releasably connectedy to the carriage, a lever pivoted adjacent to the rails in position to receive the receptacle or ear and disengage it from the carriage and means for lowering said lever with its supported receptacle or car, substantially as set forth.

t3. In an electrical transportation system, the combination with track-rails and an electrically-propelled carriage, of a receptacle or car releasably connected to the carriage, a lever pivoted adjacent to the rails in position to receive the receptacle or car and disengage it from the carriage, means for lowering said lever with its supported receptacle or car, and means for elevating said lever to raise the receptacle or car within the path of movement of the carriage, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electrical transportation system, the combination with the track-rails and an electrically-propelled carriage, of a receptacle or car releasably connected to the carriage, a lever pivoted adjacent to the rails in position to receive the receptacle or car and disengage it from the carriage, and means for elevating the lever to raise the receptacle or ear within the path of movement of the carriage, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electrical transportation system, the combination with the track-rails deilected at `one end and the electrically-propelled carriage mounted to travel along said track-rails, of a receptacle or car releasably connected with said carriage, a bar or lever arranged under the track-rails and normally retained at an angle to the track-rails in position to release the car or receptacle from the carriage and support the same,l and means for raising and lowering said bar, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electrical transportation system, the combination with the track-rails and the carriage mounted thereon, of a car or receptacle releasably connected to the carriage, a bar supported under the track, and designed to disengage the car or receptacle from the carriage, and an electric motor for moving said bar upward to raise the car in the path of movement of the carriage, substantially as set forth.

l0. In an electrical transportation system, the combination with the track-rails and the carriage mounted to travel thereon and provided with a hook, a bar or lever mounted below the track-rails, of a car or receptacle, and a double hook connecting the car or receptacle with the carriage and provided with a grooved wheel to ride upon the bar or lever, substantially as set forth.

l1. In a hoisting device for the purpose described, the combination of a suitably-supported windlass, an electric motor geared to the windlass, a hoisting bar or lever, a connection between the hoisting bar or lever and the windlass, a contact-point, a second con- IOO IIO

i tact-point carried by the lever and adapted to engage with the rst contact-point, and a, switch circuited with the motor and the contact-points, substantially as set forth.

12. In a hoisting device for the purpose described, the combination of a. suitably-supported windlass, an electric motor geared to the windlass, a hoisting ber or lever, a connection between the hoisting bar or lever and the windlass, acontact-point, a second contact-point carried by the lever and adapted to engage with the first contact-point, and a quick-break switch circuited with the motor and the contact-points, substantially as set forth.

13. In a. hoisting device for the purpose described, the combination of a suitably-supported windlass, an electric motor geared to the windlass, a pawl and ratchet for controlling the backward movement of the windlatss, at hoisting bar or lever, a connection between the hoisting bar or lever and the windlass, a

contact-point, a second contact-point carried Witnesses:

W. T. IRWIN, W. I. ASLiixMi/LONS. 

